Trap Them, like many of my favorites, is a band that lies in the in-between. The bi-coastal band cherry-picks its brutality from metal, grind, and hardcore to create the unique blend exhibited on critically acclaimed releases like Seance Prime and Seizures In Barren Praise. The journey down the path to misanthropy continues on their latest EP, Filth Rations, which is out NOW via the venerable Southern Lord Records. Check out a song from that EP above.

With their new EP out now and their Prosthetic Records debut due soon, we sat down for a few questions with vocalist Ryan McKenney to discuss their forthcoming LP, the state of heavy music, and their recent live dates both past and future (at Maryland Death Festand Dudefest). The results are below...

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Where did the Filth Rations material come from? Was the material created specifically for the EP or does it exist from previous sessions?

Ryan: We like to have the opportunity to release at least one EP inbetween each full length we do. It gives us a chance to experiment a little more and give us a foundation for the next LP. There are three new songs written specifically for this EP and one song redone from our first record, "Digital Dogs with Analog Collars". Being as we have a different drummer, the song has gone through slight alterations and we wanted to update that by recording it again.

Who were the personnel on the EP, particularly, who was behind drums?

Chris Maggio is our new permanent drummer. As shocking as that is for people to hear, we are a full band now. No more musical chairs after every other tour. Brian wrote the new songs with riffs in mind, making rough demos with a drum machine before sending them to Chris. Those guys met up in Louisville and banged them out in a couple days. I wes sent rough versions, worked on them out here in Seattle, and then we all met up at Godcity and got down to business. All in all, it was the least stressful recording experience this band has had.

As someone who is entrenched in heavy music, I can imagine that over time you become desensitized to it and seek out other avenues for inspiration. When was the last time that you were struck by the brutality of a song/record? Where does inspiration come from away from the heavy music scene?

I don't think I can get burnt out on heavy music. There's a constant source of inspiration you can take from this genre. In a live atmosphere, I get burnt out....touring six to eight months a year means you've gone to at least 150 shows. When I get home, the last thing I want to do is leave the house and watch a band. For me, it's just overwhelming. But, just the act of listening to music, there will never be a point where it's not something I crave. I can't recall the last time I went a week with out being blown away by a new record. There's so many great songwriters out there that I still haven't heard, I just wish I had more time or an extra set of ears.
As far as the last thing I was really excited about, there are three things that come to mind: the new Daughters record is incredible. I also got the chance to hear Surroundings' new LP which is ridiculously heavy. The last thing, and something that will always inspire me, is Nasum. I think I've listened to "Shift" about a hundred times in the last few weeks.

What is the current status of the forthcoming LP for Prosthetic? Have you begun recording/writing? Is there a plan?

The writing has begun and everything is in full force. Brian flies down to Louisville in two weeks to meet up with Chris. They're going to take the following three weeks and probably eat, sleep and breathe this record. We play Maryland Deathfest and then four days later, we are in the studio for the entire month of June. The plan is to annihilate, and we are motivated to do just that.

Are there any plans to hit the road any time soon?

We'll be playing Dudefest in July. After that, we're just gearing up for when the record is about to come out. From about late August on, chances are wherever you live in this world we'll be playing near you. Including Antarctica. Including fucking Mercury. I don't give a shit....we're just going to do it.

I recently spoke with Steve LaCour (bassist for Trap Them) and he described Scion Rock Fest as one of his favorite shows in recent memory. What is your favorite memory from playing the fest?

My favorite memory was the forty minutes onstage (and off) without a care or concern in the world. The crowd was insane. The intensity was there. It was just a great moment. Hands down, it was the best show I've ever played in my life. Every once in a while, a room's reaction takes you by surprise and Scion fest did exactly that.